Sister, Sister
by piccolabimba
Summary: Nabiki and Kasumi resolve a month's long silence with Akane as arbitrator. Post-canon. Takes place before my story 'The Infamous Nabiki Tendo'.


**Sister, Sister**

Summary: Nabiki and Kasumi resolve their month's long silence with Akane as arbitrator. Post-canon. Takes place before _The Infamous Nabiki Tendo._

The dining room of the Tendo Dojo was experiencing a tremendous heat flash. The hot auras of two strong forces, Kasumi and Nabiki, stalked each other like two tigers. The two women glared at each other across the table. Akane sat on one of the long sides between her sisters. It was a strange scene for the household. So strange, in fact, three-year-old Kitaro had been taken to the dojo by his grandfather as soon as Nabiki arrived at the house that afternoon, summoned by her father and youngest sister.

Akane had been arbitrating for days. The months long silence that had prevailed between her sisters since Nabiki's graduation and announcement of employment in the spring and now was ending today, darn it. Akane had a timer in her hands set for 2 minutes. She looked between them. "Now. You will each have two minutes to explain your side. Rules are as follows: no name calling, cursing, or making faces," her eyes on Nabiki, "and no guilt or shaming, "she switched her gaze to Kasumi. "Got it?" both parties nodded, refusing to look at each other. She pulled a coin from her pocket. "Kasumi, heads, Nabiki, tails." She flipped the coin and it landed on heads. She shifted her attention to Kasumi and started the timer. "You're first."

The oldest Tendo woman took a deep breath before beginning, "Nabiki. I am angry at you because I think you should have gotten a job near the dojo so that you could return here and live with all of us. That way we could have the pleasure of your company and you would have fewer expenses. Not to mention your help at the dojo would be beneficial. We sent you to college and it is only right that you repay some of that by helping us at home. It is unnatural— "Akane paused the timer and interjected before any words left Nabiki's outraged mouth.

"Rephrase." Kasumi glared at her youngest sister.

"Fine… I don't _understand_ why you wouldn't want to be with your family and would rather be far away in a dangerous city. I don't like it. It seems to me that you would rather be far away and not be part of this family. I want Kitaro to know his aunt."

"Time!" the little timer rang and Akane knocked the table with her knuckles. "Ready, Nabiki?"

The middle Tendo had a hard line across her forehead that matched her lips. She exhaled loudly and nodded at Akane.

"Go!" Akane rapped the table again as Nabiki's words gushed out

"Why can't you understand that I want to be on my own? I am not 'abandoning' anyone. You are all here together. I just need to get out for a while. Going away to college was _amazing. _I learned about the world outside of Nerima. I learned that I _like_ the world outside of Nerima. I want to stay there. I want to have my own place, paid for by me, at a job where I can work hard and move up. I can't do that here. Maybe it's selfish to want to have my own life, but really, that's what I'm going to do, whether you like it or not. The only difference is if I come home to visit or not. I have goals that are bigger than doing the books for a struggling dojo. I am qualified to do so much more than that. I can still help the family – so much more, in fact, if I have a great job, which I do. I know your dream, Kasumi, is to have your whole family under one roof. I know Akane's dream is to run a successful dojo. Neither of those things are my dream. I want to get out and be part of the bigger picture. It's like our dreams are mutually exclusive. As long as I have mine, you can't have yours and vice versa. That's why this will never work."

Akane rapped on the table, a little more softly this time. "Time." Both women looked dejected. Kasumi was the first to smile bravely. Akane was resetting the timer when she spoke up.

"Well, Nabiki, it seems like we can only both be happy with small changes to each of our dreams. I can accept that you want something different from your life than I or Akane have." Akane looked between the two.

"You get one-minute rebuttals." Kasumi shifted her smile to Akane.

"I don't think we need that anymore, dear."

"I can negotiate, what do you propose, Kasumi?" Nabiki leaned back and crossed her arms. Negotiating she could do.

"Well, why don't we both take some time and come up with requirements for our own dream. They have to be realistic, without harming the other's main goal." Akane pulled out a page and drew a line down the middle.

"When you think of something, tell me and I'll write it down." She put a name at the beginning of each column.

"I'm keeping my job and living in Chiyoda." Nabiki was the first one out. Akane wrote it down. Kasumi nodded slowly.

"That is reasonable. I would like you here for all holidays and twice a month for a visit of multiple days, at least overnight. And I want you to spend time with Kitaro." Akane added it to the list. Nabiki blanched.

"How much time do you think I can take off? The train is expensive. Once a month and holidays. And I can bring my laptop to do work while I'm here. I can't lose my job over this." Akane added it to Nabiki's column. Kasumi wasn't happy about the working while she was here.

"You need to put a cap on the work or else you will do that the whole time."

"Fine. I will only work when there is no other group activity going on and everyone is doing their own thing anyway." Kasumi agreed.

"I want you to help with the dojo as you can. Help Akane manage things."

"That will take up more time than sense."

"She needs help, Nabiki." It was Akane's turn to protest.

"I don't need help! Everything is fine!" both sisters looked rather pointedly at their youngest. "Really. The new advertising and demonstrations are going really well. I have two steady classes and am about to promote several students to a third."

"I'll see what I can do." Akane grumbled something about their lack of faith in her abilities.

They continued to hash out the details of their agreement, Akane taking notes. A couple of times, Soun and Kitaro peeked their heads around the corner looking for a resolution. Finally, it seemed like they had come to a stopping point. The front door opened and a man's voice called in, "I'm home!" Minutes later, Dr. Tofu stepped into the room, stopped, and surveyed the scene. As the aura in the room had cooled since earlier, he smiled. Kasumi rose to greet him.

"Welcome home! Nabiki and I were just making arrangements." The doctor smiled at them all.

"Glad to hear it! I hate it when my wife and sisters are at odds." He looked around the room. "Where's my son?"

"I think Daddy might have him in the dojo. He agreed to watch Kitaro while we sorted this out." Nabiki stood as well.

"Why don't you get them, Tofu? I will treat everyone to some ramen. Negotiating sure makes me hungry." The entire room was shocked at her offer.

Akane stage whispered to her brother-in-law, "quick, get them and let's go before she realizes what she just said!"

With a laugh and hustle, the whole family found shoes and sweaters and headed down the street all together, Kitaro on his dad's shoulders and sisters side by side.


End file.
